Another Place Another Time
by topleka
Summary: The Blitz Team in the Middle Ages. Fantasy and magic meet the metal machines as the Guild of Seven plots against the kingdom and the royal line of the Zibice. Will the Toros Warrios be able to help? Well, duh. Ch 4 Up!
1. The Wind, The Clouds, The Adventure

Another Place - Another Time  
Chapter 1  
The Wind, The Clouds, The Adventure 

Zoids isn't mine. There. It's a disclaimer.

He raced through the forest, green eyes sparkling with excitement. He clutched tightly at the metal frames in his arms, reaching to catch a stray bolt as it fell from his hand. As he reached the edge of the forest, he slowed to a trot and readjusted the load in his arms. Today was a good day. There ahead was his workshop. He dumped his load onto the floor of the workshop, and only then noticed the leaves caught in his blonde hair. Laughing, he brushed them out, then took off into the forest again. A zoid battle was taking place, and it was a good one. Already, a Dibison had gone down. His first load of parts had come from the fallen zoid. A blacksmith by trade, he often scavenged along old zoid battle sites to find zoid parts. The zoid parts were then cleaned and used to build the many orders that came into his workshop every day. He reached the edge of the clearing and saw the battle still raging. The blue Command Wolf had also been injured. He smiled. Today was a really good day. He drew his cloak around him and in an instant he had blended with his surroundings. His cloak of invisibility had often provided him with the stealth required to sneak into a zoid battle.

Leena leapt out of her Dibison, angry. She kicked the dirt. It wasn't fair. Why did she always have to go down first. "I hardly got in any good shots," she muttered to herself. She looked up to see her brother's Shield Liger charging from one end of the battlefield to the other. As it turned towards her, it jolted, as if it had tripped over something. She gasped. "Leon!" she cried. As she leapt over the cockpit of her Dibison, she called again "Leon! Are you okay?"

Bit felt the wind knocked out of him. He had been so busy collecting parts that he hadn't seen the Shield Liger running towards him. He hit the ground with a groan, and the hood of his cloak fell onto his shoulders, revealing his head. The rest of his body ached from the fall, but remained covered by the cloak.

As Leena ran towards her brother's fallen zoid, she saw a patch of dust fly up from the ground. Suddenly, a head appeared floating out of nowhere. She faltered for a second, then screamed. The head turned towards her with shock it its sea green eyes. She continued screaming as the head seemed to float towards her.

Bit wasn't quite sure what she was doing. This pink-haired girl was screaming in fright as if she had seen a ghost. Being the chivalrous guy he was, he had gone towards her in an attempt to comfort her, but the lady seemed to grow even more afraid. He mustered a smile, and said "Hi!" She grabbed a crowbar from the ground and hit him.

* * *

"I can't believe Leena actually knocked that guy out," said Jamie as he lifted a pot of boiling water from the fire.  
"I can," said Brad. He leaned back into his chair and put his hands behind his head. "That's just how she is."  
Jamie sighed. "I wonder who that guy is, anyway. He doesn't look like a warrior."  
"Probably some knave trying to become a Zoid Knight," said Brad. "Too bad he doesn't even know to stay off the battlefield."  
"Maybe," said Jamie. "But he was wearing a cloak of invisibility. Those things are very rare. Maybe Leena knocked out a sorcerer."  
Brad opened one eye for a moment, the closed it. "Not a chance. A sorcerer. wouldn't get hurt by an attack like that. Like I said, he's probably a knave." Brad sat up and looked out the window. The sun had begun to set and the sky lit up with red. He stood. "I'll be back."  
"Where are you going?" asked Jamie.  
"It's none of your business, but I have a meeting with the Lady Naomi."  
Jamie turned back to the pot of boiling water. He had already dumped a liberal amount of vegetables into it. As he sprinkled more onions over the hot water, he said, "Okay. But come back soon. Lord Toros has called another meeting for tonight."

* * *

"Oh man...it feels like someone beat my head with a crowbar a couple thousand times," groaned Bit as he blinked his eyes. He had seen nothing but darkness for the past few hours. His head began to clear, and he struggled to sit up. As the room around him came into focus, he realized that he was chained to a wall.  
"Maybe because someone did." Bit turned his head as best he could to see a young man standing beside him. He had brown hair, and his right arm was bound in a bandage. The man sat beside him. "You gave my sister quite a scare," he said with a laugh.  
"HE DID NOT!!!" yelled Leena. Bit turned to see her standing beside him. "I was just a little surprised, that's all."  
"Oh yeah?" asked Bit. "So why did you hit me on the head? You're a lady. You're not even supposed to be in Zoid battles."  
Leena glared at him. "Oh you men. I can fight as well as any of you. And for your information, I hit you because you were stealing parts from my Dibison!"  
"It's not like you were going to do anything with them," retorted Bit. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go now."  
"You're not going anywhere," said Leena. "I've got you, you little thief. You're going to the gallows!"  
"The GALLOWS!? Why? You cant kill me just for taking a few parts." cried Bit.  
Leena grinned. "Oh? I'm sure Prince Harry will agree that you deserve death."  
Leon chuckled. "Leena, maybe you should rethink this."  
Leena shook her head. "No way. No one gets away with stealing from me, then scaring me half to death."  
Bit grinned. "So I did scare you." Leena lifted a crowbar over his head. "Hey wait!" yelled Bit. Leena stopped for a second and stared into his sincere green eyes. They flashed a mischievous smile as he asked, "So if I'm gonna die, how about a final meal?" The crowbar descended with amazing accuracy.

* * *

"So what's the news?" she asked, brushing back a strand of her brown hair.  
"The Guild of Seven has found the location of the Immortal Zoid. It is hidden underneath the great castle Zibice."  
She looked up with interest. "So when is the attack?"  
"Not for awhile. We have several obstacles that must be dealt with first." He stood up slowly. "Of course, that's where you come in."  
She nodded. "Yes sir. We will do what you command."  
A hint of a smile played around his lips, but his cold eyes showed no emotion. "Good. Then we strike the Toros Warriors tomorrow."

* * *

"Another win today?"  
Brad shook his head. "Not this time, Naomi."  
Brad's red-haired partner smiled for a second. "So what happened?" she asked, setting down her drink.  
"Interference." Brad replied. "Some crazy knave got hit by Leon's Shield Liger."  
Naomi closed her eyes for a second. "Tough break." Brad shrugged and took a drink from his mug. "My father is finally going to let me battle." said Naomi.  
Brad lowered his mug and looked at her. "Finally?" Naomi nodded. "Good. Then you can start your own team."  
"I was hoping to join the Toros Warriors."  
"I don't think so," said Brad. "Lady Leena wouldn't take it too well. After all, you are the better fighter."  
Naomi laughed. "Indeed? Well then I guess I'll have to go solo for now."   
"Awww...it's nice to see you two little lovebirds getting along," came a sappy voice from the table beside them.  
Neither Brad nor Naomi turned to face the person. Naomi took another sip from her drink before saying, "Go away, Mark."  
The man stood and walked to the table, placing himself between Naomi and Brad. "C'mon beautiful. Your friend refused me, but maybe you'd like to be my mistress."  
Naomi took Brad's hand. "Sorry, I'm taken. Now get out."  
"Ooo..." Mark said, mockingly. "And who's this? Your brother?" Mark grabbed Naomi's arm roughly and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon Naomi. My body's a kingdom that needs a queen."  
"Argh!" Brad leapt to his feet and slapped his gauntlet across the man's face. "How dare you treat a Lady with so little dignity?"  
Mark released Naomi and took a step back. "Okay then, if that's how you want to play it." Mark removed his glove and threw it in Brad's face. "Then I challenge you to a duel for Naomi."  
Brad turned away. "Sorry. Not interested."  
"No one refuses a challenge to a duel!"  
"I do."  
"Defend your honor you coward!" yelled Mark. The others in the restaurant were watching the fight with great interest. Brad picked up the glove from the floor and threw it back at Mark.  
"I don't need to," he said. "You're below my class anyway."  
Mark stood, stunned for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "You won't fight for your Lady?" he sneered. "Some Zoid warrior you are."  
"Not a warrior," Brad replied without turning. "I'm a Zoid Knight. I don't need to prove myself to you. You want a fight? Duel Lady Naomi. She's more than a match for you." Tossing a few coins onto the table, he began to walk out the door. "Besides," he added. "You can't have the Lady Naomi anyway. She's already been betrothed..." Brad pushed the door open and stepped into the street. As the door swung shut, he turned his head slightly and added, "...to me."

* * *

"So what's the deal with that Zoid?" asked Bit. Leena had grudgingly brought him a bowl of stew, and she sat beside him as he ate.  
"What, that?" asked Leena. She looked up. "Oh, we call that one the Liger Zero. Some cheap dealer sold it to my dad. He said it came from the Valley of Dreams."  
"The Valley of Dreams?" Bit gazed intently at the white liger that towered over him.  
"Yeah..." Leena sighed. "Ha. Zoids almost never leave the Valley of Dreams, but father loves spending, and white ligers are rare, so..."  
"Are we talking about _the_ Valley of Dreams?" asked Bit. "The legendary valley that can appear and disappear overnight?"  
Leena nodded. "The same one. Supposedly the greatest Zoids in all the land are found there. I think it's nothing more than a legend."  
"Maybe, but this liger really is something special. I can feel it."  
"Sure," Leena said, rolling her eyes. "And I bet you're a great zoid pilot who can win any battle."  
With a hint of wistfulness in his voice, Bit replied, "I wish." He turned his gaze from the Liger Zero to Leena. "I've always wanted to be a zoid knight, but I never had enough money to get my own zoid. Maybe now..."  
Leena stood abruptly. "I've got a meeting now."

* * *

Mark sat at the table, brooding. Women weren't supposed to refuse him like that. He took another swig of his drink. That Zoid Knight...what was his name? It didn't matter. He was gone now. So was Naomi. Mark finished his drink and ordered another. As he waited for the drink to arrive, he leaned back and faced the ceiling. So he couldn't have Naomi. That wasn't a problem. There were plenty of other women, but that knight had been way to cocky. He wanted revenge. A woman seated herself beside Mark. He eyed her. She had short brown hair, and beautiful red lips. "I saw what happened," she said. Mark's drink arrived and he took another gulp. The woman continued, "That Zoid Knight is Sir Brad, a mercenary."  
Mark didn't set down his drink. "So?" he asked, staring into his mug. "I'll never see him again."  
"Oh? I thought for sure that you'd want to get revenge on him," she said casually. "And I can set you up to battle him tomorrow."  
Mark raised his eyes to meet hers. "And why would you do this for me?" he asked warily.  
She smiled. "I'm part of the Guild of Seven, and we need the Toros Warriors eliminated. If you do this for us, you'll be paid, and you'll have your revenge."  
Marcus took another swig of his drink before nodding. "Okay, I'll do it. Set me up." He took another drink, and failed to notice the evil glint in her eye.

* * *

"Okay, warriors," said Toros with his usual vigor. "We have another duel set up for tomorrow."  
"Who's it with?" asked Leena. She leaned forward. "Of course we'll beat them anyway."  
Toros smiled. "The Dragons Team. I hear they're pretty tough. We're going to have to work hard to beat them, especially since Leon and the Shield Liger can't fight."  
Brad shrugged. "So let Jamie fight. It can't be that hard."  
Jamie glanced up, worriedly. "I'm not so sure about that. I'm not a Zoid Knight yet. I'm not even a Zoid Warrior. I'm still just a Squire. Besides, we'd still be outnumbered. The Dragons Team has four members, and each pilots a Stealth Viper. They'll be hard to hit from my Pteras."  
"What about the Liger Zero?" asked Leon. "Is that an option?"  
Toros shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The Liger Zero never listens to anyone." 

* * *

Bit was surrounded by darkness. Night had fallen, and enveloped him in a blanket of dark. The only light he saw was the slight reflection from the Liger Zero's eyes. They seemed to wink at him...as if it was alive. Bit pulled at the chains that bound him, but they were well crafted. He groaned at the irony. Being the only blacksmith for miles around, they had probably been made by him. He heard a soft growl. Startled, he looked up. In front of him stood the Liger Zero. He stared at it. It was so beautiful. The Liger lowered its head, and in one swift move, severed the chains. Bit stood slowly, letting the chains fall to the ground. The cockpit of the Liger opened, and a soft, low growl came from it. "What?" asked Bit. "You mean..." The Liger growled again. "You want me to pilot?" Bit thought for a second before saying, "Okay. I'd love to!" He leapt into the Liger's cockpit. The cockpit shut and the safety bar lowered. Bit smiled. "Okay Liger, let's see what you can do."

* * *

"Are you sure you can handle yourself, Jamie?" asked Leon.  
"Not really," said Jamie. "But we don't have much of a choice. After you hurt your arm in the fall yesterday, you certainly can't compete today." Jamie was seating in his Pteras Striker, nervously fiddling with the control panel.  
"I don't see the problem," Brad said. He was already on the battlefield, seated in the Command Wolf. "We'll win and take their money."  
"I don't care," said Leena angrily. "I'm still mad that that peasant took our Liger Zero. Who does he think he is?"  
"His name is Bit Cloud," said Leon, "and he's not a peasant. Of course you didn't bother to ask his name so you wouldn't know."  
Leena tossed her hair. "Why should I care? What's he go to do with me?"  
Leon sighed. "You mean you don't recognize him? I guess you wouldn't. Jamie and I are the only ones who go into the town to order parts for our zoids. He's a blacksmith."  
"What?" yelled Leena. "We order parts from him? Why I bet the little maggot has been reselling us our own zoid parts all this time!"  
"No need to get angry," said Leon. "After all, he doesn't charge very much."  
"Yeah," said Jamie. "And he always cleans and fixes them too. I think it's worth it." Leena didn't respond, but she continued to mumble angrily under her breath. "By the way," said Jamie. "Has anyone noticed that our opponents aren't even here? Neither is the judge."  
As he spoke, a dark judge rose from the ground. "What's this?" cried Leon. He stood to get a better view of the judge.  
The judge laughed at Leon's outburst before saying, "This duel has been taken over by the Guild of Seven. The Blitz Team versus the Wizards Team. Battle mode 0999. Ready..."  
"Wizards Team!? Where are they?" yelled Leena.  
"Fight!" The clearing remained silent for a moment. Leena took a wary step backwards in her Dibison.  
Suddenly a shot rang across the field, and the Dibison's front leg fell from the zoid. "What's going on?" screamed Leena as she unleashed a barrage of ammo.  
"They must have Helcats," said Jamie as he flew over the battlefield. "With advanced stealth capabilities, too. I can't even pick up a single heat signal."  
"Then we'll have to do this the hard way," Brad said. He leapt into the center of the field and fired a barrage around the entire field. A Helcat appeared for a second, then blended again with the forest.  
"Argh, this is hopeless," complained Leena. She unleashed another attack, nearly hitting Brad's Command Wolf. A great gust of wind went by the Dibison, and the other front leg fell off. "What are we gonna do?"  
"Bit to the rescue!" came a voice over the comlink. Leena looked up to see the Liger Zero enter the field.  
"You! You little worm, give us back our Zoid."  
"Huh, and I thought you'd appreciate my timing," he said. "Let's go Liger!" The Liger leapt into the center of the field beside Brad and stood, poised.  
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Brad. His Command Wolf lurched into the air as it took a hit from a Helcat. It fell to the ground.  
"I know how to handle this," Bit replied with confidence. He scanned the horizon of the field. "Alright Liger. Get ready to jump...NOW!" The Liger leapt into the air and landed on a Helcat. The stealth shield flickered out, and Brad spun the Command Wolf around. With one shot, he hit the Helcat and the system froze. "Great job Liger!" Bit cried jubilantly. He pushed forward the controls and sent Liger running across the field. The Liger bore down on another cloaked Helcat, freezing it's cloaking device. Jamie swooped down in his Pteras and sent a shot straight through the side of the Helcat.  
"Oh yeah!" Bit yelled. "Two down and two to go!" Bit glanced at the screen in front of him. "The last two Helcats are standing back to back over there," he said. "Do you have any attacks Liger?" The screen in front of him lit up. "Hmm...Strike Laser Claw?" He pushed the controls forward. "Let's do it!" The Liger Zero charged across the field and leapt into the air. "Strike Laser Claw!" Bit yelled, as the Liger's glowing claw came down on the last two Helcats.  
The Dark Judge stood still for a moment before saying, "Oh alright. The winners are the Tauros Warriors...it isn't fair!" A whale king descended from the sky and the four wounded Helcats were taken in. The Dark Judge disappeared, and the clearing was once again silent.  
Leena broke the silence. "Bit Cloud! Give back that Liger this instant!"

* * *

"How did you see the Helcats?" asked Jamie. "They have advanced stealth capabilities."  
"Not only that," added Leon, "but the Liger Zero isn't equipped with heat sensors anyway."  
Bit grinned. "A little somthing I learned when I collected parts from old zoid battles. Even though I was in a cloak of invisiblity, I could be seen if enough dust was stirred up on the ground. The shots you fired were enough to stir up dust from the ground. If you looked real carefully, you would have seen the faint imprints of the Helcats' feet in the ground."

* * *

"Well well well," she said as she gazed over the wrecked Helcats. "Looks like we won't have to pay Marcus after all." With a laugh, she spun around, ignoring the unconscious bodies of Marcus and his three companions. She pushed back a strand of her short, brown hair and left. "So those are the Tauros Warriors," she mused. "They may be good, but they wouldn't stand a chance against the War Sharks." With that, her body faded into the shadows

I hope you enjoyed it. The story will really get going in the next chapter, this first chapter just kinda set things up.


	2. The Immortal Zoid

Another Place - Another Time  
Chapter 2  
The Immortal Zoid 

Zoids isn't mine. There. It's a disclaimer.

"I'm thinking of going away for awhile, father." That's how it started. He had wanted to be a free wanderer for awhile. Improve his skills. See new things. Now here he was in the midday heat with no food or water. His Liger had been destroyed in a battle a few days ago, and he was near dead. "Water..." he said hoarsely, staring up at the glaring sun. One drop would be enough. Leon's knees buckled underneath him and he fell. He felt a cool breeze run through is hair. Pushing himself up, he looked forward, and saw a great valley with a deep river winding through the center. He forced himself to stand. That valley hadn't been there a minute ago. Was he hallucinating? "It can't be..." he whispered, almost reverently. Another cool wind wrapped around him and pushed him gently towards the valley. "The Valley of Dreams."

* * *

The castle was silent and dark. The only light in the room came from a few dwindling candles that hung on the wall. At one end of the large room, a tall bed loomed, draped in purple curtains. It was occupied by the Princess Mary. She slept fitfully under the silk sheets, unaware that the shadows in her room reached out for her. The shadows stretched across the floor and the bodies of four people materialized. The leader, a woman in a purple gown stood watching, her lips curled in a wicked smile. Mary felt a hand clamped roughly over her mouth, then her body being dragged from her bed. Her eyes flew open, as she grabbed wildly at her assailant. The darkness surrounded her, then it went pitch black.

* * *

"Princess Mary has gone missing!" Harry said. He was greeted with shocked stares from the Toros warriors.  
"Missing?" asked Brad. "You mean she just disappeared?"  
Harry nodded. "This morning, a maid went into her room to wake her and start the fire, and she wasn't there."  
"What makes you think she didn't just run away?" asked Leena, skeptically.  
"Not that I mean to contradict you or anything, Leena honey," Harry replied, "but there was no note, no sign that she left, and all her dresses are still in her wardrobe. If she went anywhere, she's still in her nightgown."  
"Right, maybe I'm missing something here," Bit interjected, "but why did you come to us for help?"  
Brad looked at him in disgust. "Have you never heard of the Toros Warriors?"  
"We're the official bodyguards for Prince Harry and Princess Mary," Leena said. "You should know that, Bit."  
"How was I supposed to know?" Bit asked, holding his hands of defensively. "I'm new here."  
"What I want to know is how the kidnappers got Mary in the first place," Jamie said. "The castle is guarded heavily, and anyone trying to enter with a zoid would have to face us first."  
"That is an interesting question," Toros said. "Perhaps a new kind of stealth zoid."  
Jamie shook his head. "If there was a new kind of zoid, I'd know. Besides, that still doesn't explain how they got past the castle guards."  
"That's not the problem," interjected Harry. "We need to find Mary."   
"Then you needn't look too far," came a voice from the doorway. Everyone looked towards the door in surprise. There stood a woman in a long flowing purple dress. Her short brow hair blew in gentle breeze. She smiled evilly and stepped into the room. "The Princess Mary is safe...for the time being," she said. "If you ever want to see her again, you will hand over the Immortal Zoid."  
"What are you talking about?" cried Brad. "We don't know anything about any Immortal Zoid."  
"Yeah!" yelled Leena. "Besides, even if we did, we wouldn't let you have it."  
Harry crossed his arms. "Who are you, anyway?"  
"The name's Fuma," replied the woman with an air of calmness. "I'm the leader of the Fuma Warriors." She turned to Harry. "Bring the Immortal Zoid to the Tena Valley in the Macarae Mountains tomorrow or Princess Mary dies."  
"Oh yeah?" Bit said defiantly. He ran towards Fuma and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. "Where's the Princess?" he said.  
Fuma laughed. "And who are you? I didn't know the Toros Warriors had picked up another member." She stood, Bit still holding her tight. "Ah! You must be the pilot of the Liger Zero. You're okay as knaves go, but you've still got a ways to go if you want to be a good zoid pilot."  
Bit grabbed her other arm and held her tight. "I won't ask again," he said angrily. "Where's Mary?"  
Fuma shrugged. "She'll be at the Tena Valley tomorrow." With a laugh, Fuma melted into a dark shadow that slipped from Bit's hands. The dark shadow dissolved into the floor and disappeared.  
"No!" Harry cried, falling to his knees. He stared at where Fuma had stood mere seconds ago in disbelief. Unable to support himself, he fell forward, his arms slamming into the ground.  
Leena stepped forward tentatively. "Harry?"  
Harry began to quiver with rage and sorrow, His body shook, but he made no effort to raise himself.  
"What's wrong?" asked Bit. "We'll get the Princess back. We just have to find that Immortal whasit that Fuma wanted."  
Harry pushed himself back on his knees, but he still did not rise. A tear slid from his eye and fell to the ground. "No Bit. We can't."  
"Why so downhearted?" Bit asked. "We'll make the trade, then use our zoids to beat them in a battle and get the Immortal thing back!"  
Harry shook his head. "They can't have the Immortal Zoid, no matter what the cost. I'm afraid I can't let you take it."  
"What is this Immortal Zoid anyway?" asked Leena.  
"It's a legendary zoid," Jamie said, "Rumored to give the pilot amazing powers in and out of battle."  
"It's more than a rumor," said Harry. "It's true. The Immortal Zoid is indestructible in battle. Not only that, but whoever pilots it is given the powers and abilities of an actual zoid. The pilot feeds off of the power of the Immortal Zoid and vice versa. The longer they exist together, the more powerful they become. If it were to get into the wrong hands for even a moment, it would spell disaster for all of Planet Zi."

* * *

Fuma waited calmly. They would come. The shadows around her shifted impatiently. "Be patient," she said. "They can't know it's an ambush." She looked at Princess Mary, bound tightly and still unconscious. Mary was only the bait. When they came, they would all die. She heard a whistle of a flying zoid overhead and looked up. The sky was clear, but she knew that the Toros Warriors had sent a zoid ahead to scout out the area. Soon they would be getting the report that she was alone with Princess Mary. How wrong they were..."I knew you'd come," she said as a Command Wolf and Liger appeared on the horizon. "So we meet again, Liger Zero," she said. "It will be a pleasure defeating you."  
A voice came from the Liger Zero. "Hand over Princess Mary or die."  
Fuma stared impassively. "Is that a threat? I thought we had a deal."  
"You think we'd just give you the Immortal Zoid?" Bit said. "You've got to be kidding! Now hand over Princess Mary."  
"Why should I?" asked Fuma. "You can't hurt me," she said tauntingly.  
"Oh?" Bit replied. "You seem to be outnumbered."  
Brad's voice came over the comlink. "Bit, don't get too cocky. She must have something planned."  
"You'd be wise to listen to him," Fuma said. "I knew you wouldn't bring the Immortal Zoid. I merely lured you here to destroy you. Your death will be now!" she cried jubilantly, lifting her hands into the air. The shadows around her spun in a frenzy and slipped into the ground. The ground began to shake.  
"What's happening!" asked Bit, panicked.  
"We're being attacked from underground!" yelled Brad as three Warsharks leapt from underneath the sand where they stood. The two zoids fell into the hold created by the Warsharks.  
Fuma laughed. "You're the ones who are outnumbered!" she said with an evil grin. A Pteras swooped down from the sky and shot at one of the Warsharks, ripping one of it's fins from the body. "So that's the aerial scout," Fuma mused to herself. She watched as the Liger Zero and Command Wolf struggled to escape the pit they had fallen into. The Liger Zero seemed helpless, but the Command Wolf fired off shot after shot at the three Warsharks. The Pteras swooped down for another attack, but a Warshark leapt out behind it and ripped off a wing.  
"Ahhh!!" Jamie cried as his Pteras crash-landed.  
"Jamie!" Bit yelled. With a final effort, he pushed his Liger into overdrive. Liger Zero leapt from the hole, claws alight with a golden glow. "Strike Laser Claw!" Bit yelled angrily as the claw came down on one of the Warsharks. It fell to the ground, combat system frozen.  
Fuma heard a voice in her head. "Iaga, out."  
"What!?" she hissed. "How could that novice beat one of my men?" She stared in disbelief as the Command Wolf leapt from the hole and continued firing off shots at the two remaining War Sharks. The two War Sharks charged the Command Wolf. One of them managed to rip off it's front leg, but the mobile gun swiveled around and shot it's propellor fins off.  
"Sorry, Fuma. Koga out," said a voice in her head.  
"Fine then," she said as she watched the lone Warshark attack the Liger Zero. "I'll take care of it myself." She melted into shadow and disappeared into the ground. She quickly mobilized her own Warshark and leapt to the surface, firing a shot at the Liger Zero.  
A voice came on her comlink. "The Command Wolf and Pteras are down, Fuma, but both are still firing shots every time I surface."  
"Concentrate on the Liger Zero," Fuma commanded. "I'll take care of the other two." She turned her Warshark around and carefully maneuvered. The Command Wolf only had one mobile gun. The War Shark leapt from the ground and soared directly over the Command Wolf. With practiced ease, she took aim and fired. Her shot severed the gun from the Command Wolf, effectively rendering it helpless. "Now for the Pteras," she said. The Pteras would be harder. It had many mobile guns as well as missile launchers that could track targets. She would practically have to destroy the entire zoid, and the heads of the Guild of Seven wouldn't like that. They kept all zoids after they won a battle. Destroying the Pteras would not put her on their good side. She smiled to herself as an idea clicked. No pilot meant no more firing. She quickly maneuvered the Warshark under ground and leapt to the surface directly above the Pteras. With a single shot, she shattered the glass cover on the cockpit. The bullet continued and hit Jamie's body. He lurched in pain, then fell still.  
"No! Jamie!" Bit yelled as the War Shark dove back under. He stared at the Pteras. The cockpit was open, and Jamie lay motionless. Blood slowly began to seep through his clothing.  
"Hey Bit!" Brad yelled over the comlink. "Pay attention to the battle!"  
Bit could hardly remember what happened next. He only remembered seeing two Warksharks headed towards him, guns firing. "Liger!" he yelled. The Liger Zero crouched, waiting. As the enemy zoids drew near, the Liger leapt into the air, severing the two zoids in half with a single Strike Laser Claw.  
"It's not possible!" Fuma screamed as she disappeared into the shadows. "How could I loose?"

* * *

"This Zoid battling is easier than I thought," Naomi said as she adjusted her sights. She pulled the trigger and fired the winning shot.  
"Battle Over," declared the judge. "The winner is Lady Naomi!"  
"Not bad," Naomi mused to herself as she looked at the three zoids she had downed. "I only needed three shots." Her comlink began to act up. "What's this?" She looked at the screen. "I must be intercepting a message," she thought to herself. "I wonder what it's about." The screen flickered in and out, but she was able to make out the face of a man.  
He was speaking to someone. The words were somewhat garbled, but she could make out what he was saying. "...very disappointed....Fuma...of Seven...new recruits...warriors...willing...destroy Zibice..." the screen flickered out.  
Naomi stared. "That was odd," she mused to herself. "I wonder what I intercepted." She grinned. "There's one person who will know for sure."

* * *

Bit leapt from the Liger Zero and ran towards the Pteras. Orange glass lay around the Pteras, glittering in the morning sun. Jamie's body was motionless, covered in blood. Red puddles of blood formed inside the cockpit and blood flowed slowly down Jamie's clothing. Brad ran up to Bit and stopped, staring in horror at the sight. "Why?" Bit asked. He took a step forward and faltered. "Why is he..." Bit stopped, swallowing the word.  
Brad didn't move. "Dead?" he asked.  
Bit nodded, numbly. "She killed him. She meant to kill him." Bit turned away from the sight. "Why?"  
"Evil doesn't need a reason," Brad said. "All I can say is that she'll be sure to pay." He turned. "Come on, Bit. They left Princess Mary behind, so at least we got what we came for."  
"Yes, but at what price?"

Thanks for reading! This chapter was definitely darker than the first one. Now the story is really happening. Don't flame me for killing Jamie. It's all part of the story, okay? The next chapter will definitely be more medieval with all sorts of magic spells and the Toros Warriors entering a tournament! Stay tuned.


	3. Tournament of Champions

Another Place - Another Time  
Chapter 3  
Tournament of Champions 

Zoids isn't mine. There. It's a disclaimer.

"So what do you think it means?" Naomi asked. She gazed intently at him as he stared at the paper in front of him. Naomi had written down the broken message that she had intercepted and Brad now sat beside her, trying to understand what the message had been.  
"It doesn't look good," he mused. "Something about destroying the Zibice empire. I can see that much." He ran his finger over one section. "I don't understand this part about new recruits is." He turned to Naomi. "Are you sure the man you saw was Lord Altail?"  
Naomi nodded. "It may have been a fuzzy interception, but it was definitely Lord Altail. I don't know who he was talking to, though."  
"Hmm..." Brad said. "It can't be good. Here's something about Fuma. She was the one who kidnapped Princess Mary."  
"Altail must be up to something," Naomi said. "But what?"  
The tent flap lifted up, revealing Bit's silhouette in the bright afternoon sun. Brad and Naomi both shielded their eyes from the glare.  
"Hey you two," Bit said with a grin. "The tournament's about to start! Get your zoids."  
"Be there soon, Bit," Brad said.  
"Okay," Bit replied. He left the tent and walked across the field. The day was warm, and the clouds were floating lazily along in the sky. Bit looked up. "Ah, to be a cloud," he said with a smile.  
A loud voice brought him back to reality. "BIT! GET IN THE LIGER NOW!"  
"Sure thing, Leena," he mumbled, leaping into the Liger Zero's cockpit.  
Today was the the day of the Tournament hosted by the royal line of Zibice. Zoid warriors fought against each other in tournaments of speed, skill, and power. Prince Harry stepped up to the platform that had been set up and he spoke to the crowd. "My loyal subjects!" he cried. "Thank you all for coming today. It's an honor to have all these amazing fighters here, and I'm sure today's battles will be spectacular." Harry turned to the field. "And now for the races!"  
A giant flag was raised into the sky above the twenty zoids that stood ready at the starting line. Bit was at the far end in the Liger Zero Jager. He stared out across the stretch that made up the race. "Not a problem!" He said, confidently.  
"On your mark..."  
A voice clicked on his comlink. "Are you sure?"  
"What's that?" Bit said. "Are you challenging me?"  
The face of a young warrior with dark purple hair appeared on the screen. "The name's Jack Cisco. I'm willing to bet that my Lightning Saix will beat your Liger hands down."  
"Get set..."  
Bit grinned. "I'll take the bet."  
"Go!"  
The zoids took off across track in a burst of energy. Most of the zoids remained neck-to-neck, but two zoids pulled ahead of the pack. One was a black and red Lightning Saix. The other a blue and white Liger.  
"Not bad," Jack said as he maneuvered his Lightning Saix around a tight turn.  
"Same to you," Bit said as his Liger leapt over the hurdle. "But this race is mine."  
"I wouldn't be so sure," Jack said as he cleared the last hurdle. The track lay straight in front of him, and he pushed his Lightning Saix for an extra burst of speed.  
"Let's go Liger!" Bit yelled as his zoid put on extra speed for the final stretch. The two zoids flew across the finish line.  
"Wow," Doc said, watching from the hovercargo. "Looks like a photo finish."  
The crown waited anxiously as the judges watched the recording of the two zoids crossing the finish line. They rewound it and stopped at a single frame. Harry stood up and proclaimed "It's a tie!"  
The crowd erupted into applause. "Well, well," Jack said, leaning against his zoid. "Who would have imagined?" 

* * *

Brad stood beside his Command Wolf. The dueling would start soon, and he was confident he would win. None of the other competitors entered in even stood a chance against his firepower. He stretched his arms out, looking up at the sun. Suddenly, his world went dark.

* * *

"Ugh...where am I?" Brad asked, struggling to sit up. He found that his arms were shackled to a table.  
"You're here, of course," came a deep voice.  
Brad lifted his head and stared out into the dark. He could barely make out a looming figure standing near the table. "Why am I here?"  
The voice replied, "You're too good. The Guild of Seven can't have you in the duels, you're bad for betting."  
"The Guild of Seven!" Brad exclaimed. "Why, they're a bunch of no good thieves!"  
A low chuckle. "Thieves is such a harsh word. Besides, the people bet on warriors willingly. We just tweak the outcome of battles a little."  
Brad dropped his head. "So too many people bet money on me as the winner. You'll make a nice collection from their bets...Altail!"  
"So you know who I am," Altail laughed. He stepped forward. "Not like it will matter in a few minutes. Some of my warriors are going to use you for target practice."

* * *

"No sweat," Naomi said as she fired off her last shot. The shooting competition was hers before she even got into her Gunsniper.  
"I'll get you next time, Naomi!" Leena yelled.  
Naomi smirked. "Congratulations, Leena. You managed to hit your target...and everything else within a thirty meter radius," she said, indicating the large area of black where Leena's target had been.  
A voice clicked on Naomi's comlink, "Congratulations. You are truly one of the best of the best. If you are interested in a special opportunity, then meet in the black tent at the far end of the field."  
Naomi shook her head before leaping from the Gunsniper. "Okay, what's this all about?" She found the tent and entered. "Bit? Jack? What are you guys doing here?" She asked in surprise.  
Jack turned around to face her. "It seems the winners of the different competitions have been invited her. There's Leon Toros. He won the jousting competition."  
Naomi looked around the room. "Omari!" she exclaimed. "What's he doing here?"  
Bit shrugged. "He says he won the dueling. It was only a fluke because Brad never showed."  
Naomi turned to Bit. "Brad never showed up! Where is he?"  
"I don't know," Bit said. He looked up at Naomi's frantic eyes. "Calm down, Naomi. I'm sure he's okay."

* * *

"Keep moving, Brad," Altail said as he lead the warrior down a long hallway. They stopped at a large wooden door. The door swung open slowly the reveal a long walkway around the outside of the castle. "Meet Warrior Polta. He's going to be your executioner." Altail pushed Brad through the doorway. Brad glanced around, looking for an escape.  
"It's no use," Polta said. "We're in Lord Altail's castle on the top wall. Try and jump off, and you'll have made my job easier." Altail came up behind Brad and forced him to the ground.  
Brad stood and ran to the low wall. He looked over and saw a dizzying drop to the ground. He took a step back.  
"I don't lie," Polta said with a smirk. "And I'm not lying when I say your time has come!" He lifted a bow to his shoulder and notched the arrow calmly.  
"I wouldn't try that," came a voice from the other end of the walkway.  
"Who is that?" Polta asked with surprise. A figure in a cloak and mask came slowly down the walkway, cloak blowing in the wind.  
"Who am I?" he asked, mockingly. "Don't you wish you knew."  
Polta pulled back the arrow. "You have two choices right now," he said. "You can die from getting hit by this, or you can dodge the arrow by leaping over the wall, thus killing yourself on the ground four stories below us." He let the arrow fly.  
"I like the second option," The cloaked figure leapt over the wall and went plummeting towards the ground.  
"No!" Brad yelled. He stood and ran to the wall. "I don't believe it..." he said, slowly stepping back. A Raynos hovered a few feet beneath the wall, and now rose into the air above Brad. A rope ladder rolled out from the Raynos, and Brad grabbed on. The Raynos lifted into the air, and flew away.

* * *

Brad was out of breath. The Raynos had landed, and he now lay on the ground, gasping for air. The cockpit opened, and the cloaked figure leapt out. "Are you okay, Brad?" he asked.  
Brad sat up. "How do you know my name?"  
"I know you, and you know me," he said. "As long as you're okay, that's all that matters." He turned and leapt back into the Raynos.  
"Wait!" Brad called. "Who are you?"  
The Raynos rose into the air. "You can call me the Wild Eagle!"

Back


	4. The Black Star and the Red Comet

Another Place - Another Time  
Chapter 4  
The Black Star and the Red Comet 

Zoids isn't mine. Still. There. It's a disclaimer.

"Warriors, thank you for coming today," said a woman, as she entered the tent. "My name is Pierce, and I have been sent by my master to offer you a job...for a good price."  
Jack leaned forward. "You've got my attention."  
Pierce smiled. "There is something we want. A certain..." she scanned the room, and her gaze stopped on Leon. "...something." She stared at Leon for a moment, then averted her eyes, only to see Bit. She seemed at a loss for words, but she quickly regained her composure. "If any of you would like to fight for my guild, just a few battles, we will pay you more than you could ever imagine." She looked at Jack. "We need speedy warriors," her gaze turned to Naomi, "and snipers of skill."  
Leon stood up. "I'm not impressed," he said. "I'm leaving." He walked towards the exit without looking back. "Come on Bit," he said. "There's nothing here for warriors of our status."  
Bit stood, confused. "Leon? What's gotten into you?"  
"Yeah!" Omari said. "Just because you're the special Toros Warriors doesn't mean you're better than us," he sneered.  
Naomi stood. "Maybe not me or Jack," she said. "But they're definitely better than you." Without hesitation, Naomi followed Bit and Leon from the tent.  
Pierce turned around, her gaze cutting through the remaining warriors. "So they're scared of a little combat," she said with a laugh. "Are you?"

* * *

"Leon!" Bit yelled as he hurried to keep up. "What's gotten into you?" he asked.  
Leon turned to face Bit. "Do you really want to know?" he asked.  
"Of course I do," Bit said, puzzled. "What's wrong?"  
Leon sighed and looked at the sky. "Pierce. That's what's wrong. Rumor has it that she's a member of the Guild of Seven."  
"So is that why you left?" Bit asked.  
"Of course," Naomi said, coming up from behind them. "I don't want to have anything to do with criminals, especially not ones who plan on attacking the castle of Zibice."  
Leon looked at Naomi with surprise. "The Guild of Seven is planning to attack Zibice? How do you know?"  
Naomi smiled. "Just a little observation I had, that's all."  
"Well, go on," Bit prodded.  
"Did you see the way Pierce choked when she saw you two? She knows that you're part of the Toros Warriors," Naomi stated. "And the Toros Warriors are the guards of the castle."  
Leon was concerned. "Do you really think the Guild of Seven will try something like that?"  
"After all I've seen," Naomi said, "I wouldn't be surprised. I even talked with Brad about--" She stopped dead in her tracks. "Brad!"

* * *

The Gustav sped over the ground as Naomi searched for Brad. She hadn't seen him in quite awhile, and her fears began to get the best of her. She had found Brad's Command Wolf still on the tournament grounds, but no sign of Brad. Surely something was wrong. A dark zoid appeared in front of her, and she slammed the brakes of the Gustav, screeching to a halt mere inches away from the zoid. Naomi stood in the Gustav. "Hey you! Watch where you're going! I could have hit your zoid!"  
The gold head of the zoid swung to face Naomi. "I thought you'd be happier to see me," came the amused reply. The cockpit lifted slowly.  
"Brad!" Naomi gasped. She raced towards him. "You're okay!"  
Brad smiled and leapt from his zoid. "You could say that," he said and he caught her in a swift embrace. "Although Lord Altail will definitely pay."  
Naomi took a step back. "Altail? What did he do to you?"  
Brad grimmaced. "Apparently, Altail is part of the Guild of Seven. He tried to kill me so the Guild could fix the bets on the tournament."  
"How did you escape?" Naomi asked.  
"Funny thing there," Brad replied. "Some guy called Wild Eagle rescued me. He seemed to know who I was too." Brad shrugged. "Wild Eagle dropped me off, and that's when I ran into this beauty." Brad indicated the dark zoid that stood behind him.  
Naomi stared up at it. "What is it? I've never seen a zoid like that before."  
"Neither have I. I named it the Shadow Fox."  
"That's a good name," Naomi mused. She looked up in sudden interest. "Brad! The Guild of Seven is recruiting new warriors. With your Shadow Fox, you could join and they wouldn't know it was you."  
Brad held up his hands in defense, "Slow down, Naomi. The Guild of Seven is recruiting?"  
Naomi nodded. "They were at the tournament today, and they asked the winners to join them. I don't know what they're up to, but it must be something big."  
"Of course," agreed Brad. "So you want me to join, using the Shadow Fox?"  
"Not just you," Naomi corrected. "I'm not going to let you go in there alone."  
"Won't they recognize your zoid?" asked Brad.  
Naom smiled. "Not really. The gunsniper I used at the tournament was a common one, since the custom one I ordered isn't done yet. Tomorrow, I should have a beautiful red gunsniper, ready to fight."  
Brad turned to face his zoid. "A red Gunsniper, and Shadow Fox, eh? I think we could manage."

* * *

Leena stood on the shore, gazing at the sea. The sun was setting, and her eyes lit up with the beautiful orange hue. She pushed back a stray hair caught in the breeze. Although calm on the outside, her insides were churning. The recent events she had been through had caused her to question the kingdom's peaceful existence. Everything from the Guild of Seven's first attack, to the kidnapping of Mary and the death of Jamie, to what Leon had just told her. The Guild of Seven would attack Zibice. "What will we do?" she whispered to the wind. "The Guild of Seven is putting together a huge army. Leon told me they were recruiting at the tournament today." Leena sighed, her deep purple eyes gazing longingly at the sea, as if begging for an answer. "Can we really protect the castle? The Immortal Zoid holds limitless power. If it were to fall into the wrong hands..." Leena felt weak at the thought. Her body collapsed into the sand. She rolled over and stared at the clouds in the sky. "Ah, to be a cloud," she said wistfully.  
"LEENA! MY DARLING!" Leena bolted up. There stood Prince Harry a smile on his face. "Don't be downcast! You are too beautiful to be sad."  
"Harry," Leena replied. "The Guild of Seven will attack us soon with a powerful army. I'm afraid that they'll get their hands on the Immortal Zoid."  
Harry stared at her for a moment, then his smile grew bigger. "I'm not worried at all, Leena. I trust you and the Toros Warriors to protect the castle, and the world."  
"Do you really think we can do it, Harry?" Leena closed her eyes for a moment. "Do you?"  
Harry knelt on the ground in front of her. "Leena, I trust you. I trust the Toros Warriors. The Immortal Zoid will remain safe as long as people like you are here to defend it."

* * *

"WARRIORS ATTACK!" Pierce commanded, as a barrage of fire came from the zoids in her unit. She hovered above the battlefield in a Storm Sworder, watching the destruction below. Unfortunately, most of it was being caused by the Zibice army. Her Rev Raptor forces were being methodically destroyed by a until of Command Wolves under the command of Kris and Kelly Tasker. Their two Lighting Saixs sped through the group, leaving a wake of destruction in Pierce's troupes.  
Kelly's face popped up on Pierce's communcation channel. "Are you ready to surrender?" she asked. "The Lighting Sisters never loose. You should have known that."  
A strange black layer of smoke covered the field. Pierce noticed the look of surprise on Kelly's face before she broke off the connection. From her Storm Sworder, she heard two faint shots as the smoke began to clear. On the ground lay two Lightning Saixs. Each had been dealt a swift shot in the neck, and had been easily immoblized. With their leaders down, the Command Wolf unit was easy pickings. "Rev Raptors, move foward!" Pierce commanded. Within a few minutes the Command Wolf unit had been beaten.  
A dark zoid and a red Gunsniper appeared from the shadows. Pierce linked to their systems and greeted them. "Warriors. I don't know who you are, but it's thanks to you that we have won today. May I know your names?"  
"Black Star."  
"Red Comet."

Back


End file.
